Frugal Living Column

Whether it’s hunting for the best deals around or growing your fruits and vegetables, living a frugal lifestyle is a challenge that can bring a great sense of accomplishment. Spending cents while others spend dollars, embracing this lifestyle has benefits beyond your checkbook.

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I love shopping online for a lot of reasons, many of which tap into my deeply rooted love of laziness and sloth. I like that something is delivered straight to my door. I love that I usually don’t have to pay sales taxes on it. I love that I then have this awesome box or envelope I can use to ship other things (like the books you all win in the auctions!). I just simply need to be patient and wait for the package to arrive! It’s a win win.

The only downside to getting things shipped is the cost. Fortunately plenty of stores offer ways for you to get free shipping and today I’ll tell you what we do to maximize the times we get free shipping.(click here to continue reading…)

Before graduating from college, many students participate in a ritual known as “the internship.”

I was an intern myself at one time. For many interns, this period of time is entirely devoted to trying to obtain a marketable skill while subsisting on crap wages — or even no wages at all. I wasn’t paid for my internship, and in the current economy, many students find that the best internships are already taken.

So, what can you do when your main source of compensation is college credit? Three former interns (who have “real” jobs now) share their tips for saving money:(click here to continue reading…)

Valentine’s Day is coming up in a few days and I’m sure you have everything planned… right? Right?

With the economy still on the weaker side, the responsible thing to do is for you to go out, spend a lot of money, and stimulate the economy! I’m only kidding.

Valentine’s Day isn’t about spending money on your loved one, it’s about spending time with your loved one. I’ve listed fifteen ideas that my wife and I have done over the years (not just on Valentine’s Day, but for our date night’s and other such occasions) and hope you can get some good ideas too!

Long time readers will recognize some of these ideas from a few years back. It’s still as applicable today as it was when it was originally published and I’ve added and replaced a few ideas!(click here to continue reading…)

There is something about city living that just can’t be beat. There is ease of transportation, plenty of cultural events, job opportunities. The list can go on. There are definite benefits to living in a big city, but sometimes the biggest cities have the highest cost of living. While some people believe that the salaries in a big city make up for the high cost of living, many would disagree.

Sure, you often make more money when you live in a place with a higher cost of living, but the bump in salary is often not enough to make up for the high cost of living.

If you live in an area with a high cost of living and having trouble getting ahead or making ends meet, you may want to consider moving to a different city or a suburban location where the cost of living is substantially lower. Your dollars can work harder, and you can get ahead financially more easily, even if you are making less money.(click here to continue reading…)

Shopping for holiday gifts for your family, friends, children’s teachers, service providers, and neighbors can leave you and your wallet exhausted. Do you really know everyone on your gift giving list well enough to buy them a thoughtful present? Most likely the answer is no, so you probably resort to giving cash. If you would like to keep your Benjamins in your wallet where they belong, there is another way you could approach gift giving this year.(click here to continue reading…)

Heading ho-ho-home for the holiday season can also mean going bro-bro-broke thanks to high travel costs. Even as prices on airfare, hotels and rental cars steadily increase, there are still deals says Jean Chatzky, author of eight finance books including “Money Rules: The Simple Path to Lifelong Security” and host of the personal finance show, “Money Matters with Jean Chatzky,” on RLTV. Here’s how to save on holiday travel.(click here to continue reading…)

The holiday season is a time of celebrating, and eating, together. Christmas offers an excellent opportunity to share time with family and friends, but if you aren’t careful, hosting the meal can cost a bundle. However, there are simple things you can do now, a few weeks before Christmas, to make sure you can offer a delicious, yet frugal meal.(click here to continue reading…)

The stores have been marketing Christmas to us since at least October, though they really ramp up their efforts in November and December. They have to. Many retailers “depend on the last two months of the year for up to 40 percent of their annual sales” (Syracuse.com).

While consumer shopping is expected to be up 4.1% in November and December, that is slower growth than the previous two years (Syracuse.com). There are many reasons why shoppers may be holding tight to their purse strings this year, including the looming fiscal cliff.

However, if you have a basement (and closet and bedroom) full of stuff, economic uncertainty can help you pad your bottom line because more and more shoppers are looking for a good deal.